how many gates on an alpine downhill course?

by Mr. Jesse Hermiston MD 10 min read

A course is constructed by laying out a series of gates, formed by alternating pairs of red and blue poles. The skier must pass between the two poles forming the gate, with the tips of both skis and the skier's feet passing between the poles. A course has 55 to 75 gates for men and 40 to 60 for women.

Full Answer

What is the size of a ski gate in downhill skiing?

In Downhill, it has to be at least 8 meters, in Super G from 6 to 8 meters for open gates (from 8 to 12 meters for vertical gates), and in Giant Slalom, the width must be from 4 to 8 meters, and the distance between the turning poles of successive gates has to be at least 10 meters. Slalom is different from other disciplines.

How many gates do you need for cross country skiing?

The skier must pass between the two poles forming the gate, with the tips of both skis and the skier's feet passing between the poles. A course has 55 to 75 gates for men and 40 to 60 for women. The vertical drop for a men's course is 180 to 220 m (591 to 722 ft) and slightly less for women.

What are the gates like on a slalom course?

Open gates make up the majority of the turns on a slalom course. Open gates are generally spaced between 6 and 12 meters apart, depending on the age, developmental phase and ability level of the skiers. Closed gates These are when the outside pole is set vertically below the turning pole.

How long is a downhill skiing course?

Downhill skiing. For women the course is 1.6 to 2.5 km (1 to 1.5 miles) long, with a maximum vertical drop of 700 metres (2,297 feet). Courses are characterized in terms not of length but of time—e.g., a two-minute downhill. The average winning speed of downhill events is 64 to 80 km/hr (40 to 50 mph).

Are there gates in downhill skiing?

downhill skiing, ski race for speed on an adjusted downhill course that is marked by gates formed by paired poles, set at least 8 metres (26 feet) apart, through which the racer must pass.

How many gates are in a ski slalom?

A slalom course consists of a series of alternating pairs of blue and red gates. The number of gates used is between 55 to 75 for men, and between 40 to 60 for women. The gates are set in different types of configurations to make the run more challenging.

How many gates are in the giant slalom?

The number of gates in this event is 56–70 for men and 46–58 for women. The number of direction changes in a GS course equals 11–15% of the vertical drop of the course in metres, 13–18% for children.

What is a gate in alpine skiing?

A “gate” is the imaginary line connecting the points where a pair of gate poles enters the snow. In a slalom (SL) gate, the ends. of the gate line are marked by two single poles.

What are the double gates in slalom skiing?

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How far apart are slalom gates?

The gates are at least 75 cm (30 in) wide and 4 m (13 ft) apart. When first developed, slalom gates were small flags stuck in the snow; they were replaced by longer bamboo canes, which could snap back and hit competitors.

Why are there extra gates in slalom?

The hinged gates require, according to FIS rules, only that the skis and boots of the skier go around each gate. The new gates allow a more direct path down a slalom course through the process of cross-blocking or shinning the gates.

What is missing a gate in skiing?

Simply put, skiing out means missing a gate at any point during a ski race. The consequences of doing so are instant disqualification from the event even if it spans multiple runs, as slalom, giant slalom and the combined event do at the Winter Olympics.

Do you have to hit every gate in slalom?

There's no rule in slalom or giant slalom that you have to hit those gates, but you have to pass between them on alternating sides, with both skis' tips passing between the poles. The closer you get to the gate, the more direct route you're taking down the slope -- which means a faster runtime.

What happens if you miss a gate in downhill skiing?

Missing a gate in alpine skiing If a skier misses a gate, he or she is disqualified from the competition, unless he or she hikes uphill and successfully passes through the missed gate. However, the time expense for doing this often makes it not worth the effort.

Whats the difference between super-G and downhill?

In super-G, also known as super giant slalom, skiers also go at high speed but not as fast as downhill. They have to go through widely set gates, which requires more turning. Athletes also only have one chance to get the fastest times.

What are the rules in Alpine skiing?

Skiers can reach speeds of 130 km/h. The vertical drop of the slope in downhill should be between 800-1100m (for men) and 450-800m (for women). Each competitor is allowed one ski down the course and the fastest to cross the line is deemed the winner.

How long is a downhill race?

For men’s international championship events, the downhill course is typically 2.4 to 5 km (1.5 to 3 miles) long, with a vertical descent of up to 1,000 metres (3,281 feet) and terrain of a steepness and difficulty appropriate to the skill and endurance of the competitors.

How far apart are the poles in downhill skiing?

downhill skiing, ski race for speed on an adjusted downhill course that is marked by gates formed by paired poles, set at least 8 metres (26 feet) apart, through which the racer must pass.

When was the downhill first held?

Downhill debuted at the Olympics in a combined event (featuring both a downhill and a slalom race) in 1936 at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. It was first held as an Olympic medal event in 1948 at St. Moritz, Switzerland.

When did skiing become an official sport?

In 1930 it was recognized by the world governing body of skiing, the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS), as an official sport; the first downhill world championships were held the following year.

Why do slalom skiers hit the gates?

There's no rule in slalom or giant slalom that you have to hit those gates, but you have to pass between them on alternating sides, with both skis' tips passing between the poles. The closer you get to the gate, the more direct route you're taking down the slope -- which means a faster runtime.

How long is a slalom course?

For men's slalom, the course at PyeongChang is 575 meters and the women's course is 556 meters. For men's giant slalom, the course is 1,326 meters and women's is 1,250m. Skiers are racing downhill with a formidable vertical drop, often between, 591 and 722 feet.

How fast do slalom skiers go?

Giant slalom skiers tend to hit an average of 25mph. Skiers tend to go even faster in standard slalom because the gates are closer together and the line is more direct. These high speeds also make falls particularly dangerous and when combined with high winds like at this Olympics, the risk of injury is high, particularly for knee injuries.

Why are ski gates arranged in a variety of configurations?

The gates are arranged in a variety of configurations to challenge the competitor. Because the offsets are relatively small in slalom, ski racers take a fairly direct line and often knock the poles out of the way as they pass, which is known as blocking.

What was the pole used for ski gates?

Clearing the gates. Traditionally, bamboo poles were used for gates, the rigidity of which forced skiers to maneuver their entire body around each gate. In the early 1980s, rigid poles were replaced by hard plastic poles, hinged at the base.

What ski race was held in Oslo in 1866?

The 1866 "ski race" in Oslo was a combined cross-country, jumping and slalom competition. In the slalom participants were allowed use poles for braking and steering, ...

How long are slalom skis?

World Cup skiers commonly skied on slalom skis at a length of 203–207 centimetres (79.9–81.5 in) in the 1980s and 1990s but by the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, the majority of competitors were using skis measuring 160 cm (63.0 in) or less.

What is slalom skiing?

Slalom skiing. Slalom is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline, involving skiing between poles or gates. These are spaced more closely than those in giant slalom, super giant slalom and downhill, necessitating quicker and shorter turns. Internationally, the sport is contested at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, ...

How are ski courses constructed?

A course is constructed by laying out a series of gates, formed by alternating pairs of red and blue poles. The skier must pass between the two poles forming the gate, with the tips of both skis and the skier's feet passing between the poles. A course has 55 to 75 gates for men and 40 to 60 for women. The vertical drop for a men's course is 180 to 220 m (591 to 722 ft) and slightly less for women. The gates are arranged in a variety of configurations to challenge the competitor.

When were hill races abandoned?

Around 1900 hill races are abandoned in the Oslo championships at Huseby and Holmenkollen. Mathias Zdarsky 's development of the Lilienfeld binding helped change hill races into a specialty of the Alps region. The rules for the modern slalom were developed by Arnold Lunn in 1922 for the British National Ski Championships, ...

How to determine the starting order for a second run?

This will vary from race to race, but typically in a competition with two runs, the starting order for the second run is determined by the result list of the first run except for the first 30 places.

What is Kinder racing?

An internationally recognized event for kinder racing that consists of a mixture of standard turns and gates. The event meets developmental needs for this age group, creating a tactical awareness by blending sections of different disciplines (SL & GS) in a flowing, rhythmical, constantly changing pattern.

Slalom

The slalom is the shortest course in alpine skiing. It also has the most turns. Skiers have to navigate from one gate to the next. Cutting a turn too close or missing a gate altogether will incur a time penalty which could be the difference between a gold medal and no medal at all. Each skier makes two runs down the slalom course.

Giant Slalom

It's basically what it sounds like. It's a longer slalom course and the gates are spaced further apart. This is also a two-run event.

Downhill

This event is all about speed -- get down the course in the fastest time possible.

Super-G

Super-G means super giant slalom. It combines the speed of downhill but the technical turning necessary of the giant slalom. The course winds more than the downhill course, but the gates are spaced out more so that the skiers can pick up speed.

Alpine Combined

The alpine combined consists of one downhill run and one slalom run, both of which are completed on the same day. While the downhill can be performed on a super-G course, according to Olympics.com, the Beijing 2022 schedule has the events listed as downhill and slalom.

Mixed Team

The mixed team competition made its debut in 2018. Skiers go down, side-by-side, on identical slalom courses -- men vs. men and women vs. women. After each round, teams are knocked out until the medals are decided.

Slalom

The slalom is the shortest course in alpine skiing. It also has the most turns. Skiers have to navigate from one gate to the next. Cutting a turn too close or missing a gate altogether will incur a time penalty which could be the difference between a gold medal and no medal at all. Each skier makes two runs down the slalom course.

Giant Slalom

It's basically what it sounds like. It's a longer slalom course and the gates are spaced further apart. This is also a two-run event.

Downhill

This event is all about speed -- get down the course in the fastest time possible.

Super-G

Super-G means super giant slalom. It combines the speed of downhill but the technical turning necessary of the giant slalom. The course winds more than the downhill course, but the gates are spaced out more so that the skiers can pick up speed.

Alpine Combined

The alpine combined consists of one downhill run and one slalom run, both of which are completed on the same day. While the downhill can be performed on a super-G course, according to Olympics.com, the Beijing 2022 schedule has the events listed as downhill and slalom.

Mixed Team

The mixed team competition made its debut in 2018. Skiers go down, side-by-side, on identical slalom courses -- men vs. men and women vs. women. After each round, teams are knocked out until the medals are decided.

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The Length of FIS Alpine Skiing Courses

  • The official rulebook does not set the exact length of competition courses. However, it states the minimum and maximum vertical drop of each discipline for men and ladies competitions. Vertical Drop for FIS World Cup, World Ski Championship, and Olympic Winter Games
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Number of Runs

  • The World Cup competitions are either one or two runs events. See in the table below every discipline and number of runs. In Slalom and Giant Slalom, thirty best skiers from the first run qualify for the second run. They start the second run in reverse order. The thirtieth from the first-run starts as the first one in the second run. The best skier from the first-run starts like the last o…
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Gates

  • The setting of the gates is easy to understand in Downhill, Super G, and Giant Slalom. However, it is a bit more complicated in Slalom.
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Who Sets The Course?

  • Coaches of different skiers set the individual courses. The list of coaches (and skiers they represent) picked for creating runs is available at the FIS documents library here.
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Summary

  • Now you have enough information to present yourself as an expert when watching FIS World Cup on TV. We hope that our short excerpt of the most important issues from the rules helped you. Suppose you want to know more, feel free to consult with full International Ski Competition Rules as published by FIS. They can be found hereor below in pdf reader. Click to access ICR_0207202…
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